SK Telecom is ramping up efforts to take the lead in the fledgling smart home market by developing the country’s first sensor-connected closed-circuit television system and applying its artificial intelligence-based speakers to apartments.

According to the largest South Korean mobile carrier Monday, it has developed a new CCTV system equipped with a moving sensor that is capable of not only detecting intrusions by strangers but can also examine changes in temperature, humidity and the concentration of carbon monoxide at home.

Dubbed “T view sense,” the CCTV system is equipped with a 2 million-pixel full high-definition camera that has a viewing angle of 135 degrees.

The video footage is automatically sent to SKT’s cloud server, which keeps the data safe in case of loss by artificial destruction. It is the first cloud-based CCTV system, according to the company. 

The launch of T view sense, combined with the mobile carrier’s plan to provide AI speakers, is expected to help consumers experience the new concept of a smart home.

SKT has signed a contract with Asia Developer, a real estate development consulting firm, to build the country’s first AI-based apartment complex.

Under the contract, the telecom company will provide a total of 5,500 units of its flagship AI speakers NUGU for a 1,225-household apartment complex to be constructed in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, by 2012.

The NUGU speaker will be installed in each room and living room of the newly built apartments, enabling the control of home lighting, heating, gas taps and elevator calls via voice commands.

“SKT is making a new attempt toward smart homes by combining the current concept of living space with AI, voice recognition and IoT,” said Cha In-hyok, head of the Internet of Things business division at the company. “We hope to provide a new lifestyle for our customers with high convenience through convergence of various IoT technologies.”

The NUGU speaker, launched last August, is currently being used largely for entertainment purposes, such as playing music. The speaker is to be updated by combining technology with IBM’s AI program Watson in around May.  

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)